Personal social and emotional development (PSED) is one of the three prime areas within the Early Years Foundation stage.  In this area of learning we support children to have a positive sense of themselves, respect for others, social skills, emotional well-being and a positive disposition to learning— which are all crucial for school readiness.  We work with children to:

· Develop confidence and independence

· Make friends and get on with others

· Learn about right and wrong

· Self-regulate their emotions

· Understand about their own and others’ feelings

· Feel good about themselves an d learn how they can make positive choices in regard to food, drink, exercise, sleep and personal care to maintain good physical and mental health

· Be interested, excited and motivated about their play and learning

· Gain self-respect for themselves

· Develop respect for their own culture and beliefs and those of others

We have worked with our RSHE lead in school to develop a progressive PSED curriculum in EYFS which is taught at focus group times and when adults are interacting with children in provision.  Our 3 school rules are integral to our day and we use these rules to encourage children to make good choices and also help them to understand that poor choices have consequences.

Where children need additional support in this area of learning, we create individualised programmes to further their development including visual timetables, ’Now and Next’ boards and group programmes such as ’Music Interaction’.   We have developed a specific ‘Feelings’ area of provision that can be used when children need to regulate their emotions.  The area contains prompts from our teaching and also resources for self-regulation.

In the summer term of each year group we work with children on the transition to the next stage of their school career.  For children in Upper Foundation this means helping them to establish the routines of their Year 1 day (including playtimes, assembly, coming through the school gates independently, meeting KS1 staff) so that they are confident to start their Year 1 learning from day 1 of the new term.